Things that Surprise First Time BMW Owners

Whether you’re planning to buy your first BMW, or you’ve just bought one, you’re going to notice that some things are different than other brands of cars you’ve owned in the past. I want to explain some of the things that were weird to me when I bought my first BMW so that you can get the most out of your car from day 1.

CLIMATE CONTROL DIAL

BMW’s climate control allows you to make the cabin the exact temperature you want with two knobs and a digital display. But right above it, you have this 1990’s General Motors hot and cold dial. You might be wondering what it’s for.

It turns out this dial controls the temperature of the dashboard vents only. In the winter time we obviously want the cabin temperature to be warm. But on longer drives, warm air blowing on our face can make us drowsy. So with this dial you could have your cabin temperature set to say 80 degrees and still have cold air on your face to help keep you alert.

If you go on any BMW forum, you’ll see a lot of people asking what this does or complaining that it’s a useless feature, but once you figure out how it works, it’s actually a thoughtful design.

GENUINE BMW PARTS

A lot of first time BMW owners think they need to treat their car like a Ferrari and only have it serviced at the dealership with Genuine BMW parts. But BMW, just like every other mainstream car brand doesn’t actually make most of the parts on their cars, they buy them from various suppliers and put their own branding on. And when you learn the difference between Genuine and OE you can save BIG on car repairs.

For those who are unfamiliar, OE or Original Equipment parts are the same parts that would be used when the car is assembled at the factory, but they have the BMW logos removed so they can be sold to third party vendors without licensing issues.

To clarify, we’re not talking about parts that are similar or just as good as the Genuine BMW parts. We’re talking about the same part, made on the same assembly line, just one has a BMW logo and one doesn’t. The ONLY difference is the OE version of the part costs less.

FCP Euro has a great write up on this which you can read here, but the point is, as long as you don’t care if your parts come in a BMW box, you can save a ton of money buying the identical OE version instead.

BATTERY

On most BMW’s the battery is in the trunk, which is actually a good place for it because it stays dry and clean. If you ever need to jump start your car or want to connect a battery tender, there are terminals under the hood for easy access.

I highly recommend picking up a battery tender if you don’t plan to drive your BMW for days or weeks at a time. Being winter in Michigan and because I have another car, Im not driving my 340i that much right now so I keep it plugged in if I know I won’t be driving for a few days. I use a CTEK MXS 5.0 which you can buy here.

One important thing to note if you ever need to replace you BMW battery, is that it needs to be registered to the car. The car keeps track of the age of the battery and adjusts how much it charges over time to optimize the batteries lifespan. 

When replacing the battery, the registration process resets the battery statistics and lets the car know that a new battery has been installed. Back in the day this could only be done at the dealership, but now you can get an app like Carly on your phone and do it in your own driveway.

No Dipstick

Gasoline BMW’s from the mid 2000’s onward don’t have oil dipsticks. Instead the cars use sensors and a computer algorithm to measure the oil level and quality. 

This is frustrating to first time BMW owners because you can’t simply open the hood and check the level like on any other car. You have to have to go through your iDrive menu and allow the computer to measure it for you. Though it’s accurate, there are two big issues.

First, being BMW electronics, the sensor that measures the oil level can fail, it happened recently on my friend Bryan’s M3 which is a relatively new car.

Second, the car needs to be at operating temperature to even get a level reading. That means if you just changed your oil and your second guessing whether you put in the right amount, you’re going to have to turn on your car and let it idle for 10 minutes before you can even check.

While I think it’s stupid that there’s no dipstick, and I’m not sticking up for BMW, it’s not the end of the world and shouldn’t keep you from buying one of these cars. Just use common sense. Change your oil every 5,000 miles with quality full synthetic oil, check your engine bay periodically for leaks, use the car’s computer measuring system and you’ll be fine. 

TURN SIGNALS

On most cars, the turn signal stalk stays in the position you are signaling until you’ve made the turn. On BMW’s it returns to the neutral position even with the signal is still on. This is really trippy the first few times you use it.

You can do a half press and the signal will blink three times for changing lanes. Or a full press and it will stay on until the steering wheel cancels it. 

A lot of times you’ll go to half press it to change lanes and end up full pressing it on accident. The steering wheel doesn’t cancel it because you aren’t turning so you boop it in the opposite direction and now it’s still blinking and still in the neutral position. It probably looks idiotic from outside the car and because of this, many of us have given up on turn signals all together.

NO SPARE TIRE

Many modern BMW’s are equipped with run-flat tires from the factory and therefor don’t include a spare tire. A lot of first time BMW owners think they have to keep using runflats and might be frustrated with the high cost of replacement, harsh ride, and lack of options.

But many enthusiasts like myself have ditched the run-flats and never looked back. Personally I keep a tire compressor and tire repair kit in my car at all times. For longer trips, you can buy a full size spare and keep it in your trunk. Since getting AAA, I’ve even had my car towed to my house a further distance than I would have been able to drive on run-flats anyway.

Remember, runflats don’t make you invincible. They simply allow you to drive up to 50 miles per hour for up to 50 miles on a flat. In my experience, the only people who truly love run-flat tires are the people who sell them.

FINAL ADVISE

After you buy your BMW, take some time to read the manual and get familiar with it. I can’t tell you how many questions I’ve received over the years where the answer was right here all along. You might even learn about some features that you didn’t know your car had.

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You Don't Need an Expensive Camera

For the past year, I’ve been shooting car photos almost exclusively with the Fujifilm X100T, and it’s quickly become my favorite camera that I’ve ever owned. I get a ton of questions on Instagram about affordable cameras for automotive photography, and maybe this will help you decide if a Fuji X100 series camera is for you.

WHAT IS IT?

The Fujifilm x100T is an APS-C rangefinder style camera with a built-in 23mm f/2 lens. The design resembles that of an old film camera, with manual controls for the shutter speed, aperture and exposure compensation. Released in 2014, the X100T is a few generations old now, but has all the features I need to take still photos for Instagram. I picked up this one last year used for around $500.

There’s something to be said about portability. The smaller a camera is, the more likely I am to take it with me everywhere. Of course my Canon EOS R is superior in almost every way, but it’s big and heavy, and expensive. I hate lugging it around outside my studio. Because I have my X100T with me at all times, I end up getting photos that I might not have taken otherwise. 

Shutter speed and exposure compensation dials

THE BODY

Fujifilm X100T size compared to iPhone XR

This camera is TINY. It’s slightly smaller than my iPhone XR when laid flat, and a little over double the thickness. It easily fits in a coat pocket - maybe not your pants unless you’re wearing JNCO Jeans. A standout feature of the X100 line is the hybrid viewfinder. You can either look through the glass to compose your shot like an old rangefinder film camera, or with the press of a button, use the camera’s electronic viewfinder. Personally, having shot on mirrorless cameras the past few years, I’m using the EVF exclusively, but the optical viewfinder can give you that raw, nostalgic shooting experience.

In my opinion, these are the most beautiful cameras you can buy without being a doctor or a lawyer (Leica, we’re looking at you). There is something so intuitive about the manual dials that require no explanation to use. It seriously makes me wonder why other modern cameras have abandoned them. Being that the body is so small, it can be awkward to hold if you have big hands, but since it’s so light weight, I don’t find it uncomfortable. There are aftermarket grips you could buy to tailor the fit to your hand, but I prefer to keep the camera as small and simple as possible.

THE LENS

The X100T’s built-in 23mm f/2 lens

One of the quirks of this camera is it’s built-in 23mm f/2 lens that give you a 35mm full frame equivalent field of view (multiply the 23mm focal length by the approximate crop factor of 1.6). It’s a prime lens meaning it doesn’t zoom, and it’s a fixed lens, meaning you can’t change it out. You really have to love the 35mm field of view. Personally, 35mm is my favorite focal length for shooting cars. It’s wide enough to be able to be able to place the car in a background, yet not so wide that the car gets distorted. One important thing to note is because this is a crop sensor camera and the largest aperture is only f/2, you aren’t going to get the super shallow depth of field that you’d get with a full frame camera. That being said, you can still get some shallow depth of field, especially when taking close up shots of interior details. Still, this camera will force you to seek out interesting locations, rather than using background blur as a crutch for otherwise boring photos. 

Because there’s not much background blur, finding the right location is everything

While some might see the built in prime lens as a con, to me, it’s what makes this camera interesting. As a Canon shooter, it meant that I could get a taste of Fujifilm cameras without needing to buy into a whole new lens system. I find this minimalist approach to be freeing in a way. Rather than contemplating, “which lens should I bring? Maybe I’ll bring them all just in case,” you’ve just go this one focal length that you have to make work for you. One notable flaw of the lens though, is that it’s rather soft when taking close up photos at f/2. Almost looking out of focus at times. The latest Fujifilm X100V addresses this with an all new lens, but that camera is nearly 3x the price, IF you can find one in stock. The softness isn’t a big issue for me though. With the right lighting, it can give your photos an etherial look, but one workaround is to use the “de-haze” tool in Adobe Lightroom.

If you’re shooting cars, I highly recommend picking up a circular polarizer with a 49mm filter thread. You’ll also need a filter adapter to prevent the front of the lens from crashing into the filter when the lens focuses. I’m pretty sure the previous owner superglued this one on.

AUTOFOCUS

Being an older camera the autofocus is notably slow, especially having used the latest and greatest from Sony and Canon. But since I’m mostly shooting stationary photos of my car, I don’t need blazing fast autofocus. Again, the latest X100V will give you a modern day autofocus system, but if you’re like me, just taking casual snapshots of your parked car, there’s no need to spend the extra thousand dollars on the new model. 

You do have the ability to manually focus the lens, but its focus-by-wire, meaning there’s no physical connection between the focus ring and the glass elements inside the lens. Instead, turning the ring sends a signal to a focusing motor with an ever so slight delay. It’s usable, but a surprising decision since everything else about this camera is so tactile. My only guess is that focus-by-wire allowed for a more compact lens design.

THE SENSOR

The X100T features a X-Trans CMOS II sensor with on-sensor phase detection

The Fujifilm X100T has a 16 megapixel APS-C size sensor. Some may be wondering why I choose to shoot photos with this, when my EOS R has a full frame 30 megapixel sensor, and again, it just goes back to portability. Since I’m just a hobbiest shooting photos for my personal Instagram, even 16MP is overkill. And I can’t stress enough the size and weight difference between these two. Being an older sensor, the photos do get grainy above ISO 1000, and even with the f/2 aperture, the low light performance is where this camera really starts to show its age. Still, the colors look gorgeous straight out of camera, and aside from the retro hipster vibe, it’s easy to see why people love these cameras so much. 

If you’re not familiar with Fujifilm cameras, they have something called “film simulations” which are kind of like Instagram filters, but actually good. You can choose to shoot .jpeg with these filters baked into the image, or simply shoot RAW and have the flexibility to edit the photos however you’d like. I really like the “Classic Chrome” simulation for automotive photography. Lately, I like to shoot Classic Chrome jpegs and make slight adjustments in Lightroom Mobile before posting to the Gram. Foregoing the RAW process entirely.

VIDEO

This camera does have the capability to shoot video BUT, it’s only 1080p, the video autofocus is only so-so, and there’s no image stabilization in either the body or the lens. It can work in a pinch, but this is a still photo camera first and foremost. Once again, the newest X100V is superior in the video department, but since I’m using my EOS R for video, I don’t necessarily need cutting edge video specs in this camera.

SHOULD YOU BUY ONE?

The X100T has been one of my favorite cameras I’ve ever owned. It gives you a better image and shooting experience than a phone, in a package that’s more portable than a big interchangeable lens setup. Some people might find the fixed focal length lens to be a turn off, but to me, it’s what makes this camera so special. There’s no contemplating which lens to bring, or even worse, lugging around a backpack full of them. Surprisingly, the fixed focal length actually feels less restrictive in that regard. 

To me, there’s something rewarding about getting great photos with an affordable compact camera. A comment I see a lot while looking at pro photographers work on YouTube or Instagram is something like, “it must be easy to get amazing photos when you’ve got thousands of dollars worth of gear.” Shooting on a $500 camera is evidence that the gear isn’t everything. 

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SHOT ON FUJIFILM X100T

For more photos shot on the Fujifilm X100T, follow me on Instragram @justinbuice

Is the Stupid-Expensive BMW Display Wheel Worth the Hype?

Genuine BMW Race Display Steering wheel w/ Coral Red interior

What is it?

The BMW M Performance Race Display Wheel is quite possibly the most over the top modification available directly from BMW. For those who are unfamiliar, the BMW Race Display Wheel is a high tech steering wheel with shift indicator lights and an LCD screen at the top of the wheel. Unlike a lot of these wheels that have been popping up on eBay and Alibaba in recent years, this is a Genuine BMW part that you can have installed at your local BMW dealership. The Race Display Wheel is finished in alcantara and has BMW M colored stitching. This kit from Kies Motorsports includes Genuine BMW dry carbon fiber trim that matches the rest of my interior. Click here to view on Kies Motorsports’ store.

The Race Display Wheel features alcantara, BMW M colored stitching, and optional dry carbon trim

Initial setup

LED startup animation. Note the buttons at the 10 and 2 position.

When you start the car, the LED’s greet you with a light dance and you’ll see the BMW M Performance logo on the screen. Then you press and hold the L and R buttons to turn the screen on. These two small buttons at the 10 and 2 position are used to navigate the menus and change settings using a combination of short, long and double presses. I’m not going to lie, it’s cumbersome to use and takes a while to get the hang of. 

When you initially set up the wheel, you can choose between metric and imperial units, change the brightness of the display and LED’s, and set the RPM that you’d like the shift lights to come on at. After the wheel is set up, you can toggle between the three modes, EfficientDynamics®, Sport, and Race. You can turn the wheel off at any time by holding down the L and R buttons for three seconds.

Driving Modes

EfficientDynamics®: Fuel consumption stopwatch, Consumption Average Speed, EfficientDynamics® index
Sport: G-force with memory, water/ oil temperature, stopwatch
Race: Lap timer, race section clock, quarter mile timer

In EfficientDynamics® mode, there’s a fuel consumption stopwatch, consumption average speed, and an EfficientDynamics® index. This part of the menu is a little silly to me. I mean, this steering wheel is meant for race cars, why is one third of the functionality dedicated to fuel efficiency?

Sport is the mode I use most. In this mode you have a lateral and longitudinal G meter with a stopwatch, lateral G memory that will save 30 consecutive turns that you can review later, and oil and water temperature. For daily driving, I often set the display to show temperature to more accurately keep an eye on operating temps, although oil pressure would have been a nice addition, since the car already has an analog oil temperature gauge. The display is capable of showing real-time RPM, but strangely only in the rev limiter setup screen. You can’t actually display it in any of the other modes.

Finally, there is Race mode which is meant for track use only. In this mode you have a lap timer, race section clock, and a quarter mile timer. There is an optional measuring trigger that will automatically capture your lap times on a race track via an infrared receiver that’s sold separately. 

Sport mode, displaying water and oil temperature

Installation

I’ll be honest with you, the installation is pretty involved. It took me 7 hours including filming, but you could probably do it in 3 if you’re not stopping to document each step. Still, I’d set aside a full day for this so you don’t feel rushed. The car won’t be drivable during the install for obvious reasons, so be sure to have all the tools you need before you get started. I’d say this is an intermediate to advanced install. It involves removing the airbag, taking apart the steering column and dashboard, re-pining wires and tapping wires into one of the car’s control modules. There are a lot of tedious steps and if you miss even one of them, the wheel won’t work. It is do-able though and personally, I felt a sense of satisfaction having installed it on my own.

Because the wheel has it’s own control module, there is no coding required. Once you re-connect the battery, it simply works, which is a miracle for BMW. Since you are re-using your stock airbag and you aren't modifying the airbag wiring, there are no error codes to worry about. The car’s computer won’t know the airbag was ever removed. Watch my complete step by step installation guide here.

Removing the clock spring from the center column and re-pinning wires

What it’s like to live with

So what’s it like to daily drive with this wheel? It makes the interior feel exotic. Like you’re sitting in the cockpit of a high end supercar. I’ve said it before, but from the driver’s seat, it’s hard to believe it’s just a 3 Series. The rim of the wheel is about the same thickness as my stock Sport Line wheel and feels natural in my hands. At night, especially on dark roads, the shift lights can be a bit much, so it’s nice to have the option to turn them off for casual night time driving.

The alcantara did take some getting used to. It’s a texture that feels unusual at first on a steering wheel. I haven’t had it long enough for it to need a deep cleaning, but when I notice it’s dusty, I simply wipe it with a dry microfiber cloth. I will say, it makes me hyper aware of how clean my hands are, and I’ve got in the habit of bringing extra water when I go skateboarding so I can rinse my hands off before I drive home. Some people have suggested driving gloves but I’m not sure that they are my style.

Accelerating with the shift lights set to 6,000 RPM

Quirks

As cool as this wheel is, it’s not without its quirks. First, the wheel is off by default and you need to manually switch it on every time you start the car. I think I’d want it to be the opposite. I think I’d want it on by default, and have the option to switch it off if I wanted. You’re paying so much money to get this extra functionality, I would think you’d want the wheel to be on more often than not. Also, after 10 minutes of driving, the display goes to sleep. While it’s asleep, the shift indicators still work, but you need to tap either the L or R button to wake the screen up. I looked in the owner’s manual and there is no setting to change this, it’s simply how the wheel is programmed. I can’t think of any logical reason for this, and again, I’d rather it be on all the time with the option to turn it off when I decide.

But the biggest quirk though is the operating temperature threshold. The wheel simply doesn’t work if the temperature is above 140 degrees F (60 degrees C). If you try to turn it on, the lights will flash red and then turn off. The first time this happened, we had gone shopping on a hot day with the car sitting in a parking lot with no shade. I panicked at first because I thought the wheel was broken. I checked the manual and sure enough, it’s a safety feature to protect the electronics in the wheel. After driving with the air conditioning on for a few minutes, the wheel works again. I thought it was weird that electronics that are designed to be used inside a car apparently can’t handle high temperatures. It almost seems like an oversight or design flaw. Being in Michigan, this is only an issue 3 months out of the year, and only if the car has been parked in full sun for a while. But if you live in Florida or Texas, I could see this being annoying.

THE GOOD:

• Genuine BMW = QUALITY

• Adds helpful parameters like coolant and oil temp. G-force is fun to look at

• Looks and feels exotic

THE BAD:

• EXPENSIVE (Say goodbye to your kid’s college fund)

• For the price, I was really hoping for more parameters

• The wheel doesn’t work above 140F/ 60C

Things to know before purchasing

If you plan on buying this wheel, here are a couple things to take note of. The wheel does not include the airbag, buttons, or paddle shifters. If you have an M3 or an F30 M Sport, you will need to reuse your existing buttons and airbag. If you have a base F30, the buttons and airbag won’t fit and you’ll need to buy those separately. There is a version of the display wheel that’s compatible with the base airbag but it’s a different part number. The display wheel does not support the heated wheel function. My car didn’t have a heated steering wheel, so it was a non-issue for me, but might be a deal breaker if you use that feature. You could still install the wheel, but you’d lose that functionality.

Is it worth it?

Despite the quirks and price tag of this wheel, it’s one of my favorite car modifications I’ve ever done. I wish it could display a few more parameters, but the ones that it does surface like G force and quarter mile times make driving exciting. Installation is tedious, but rewarding once you’ve got it installed. While the extra grip from the alcantara and the shift lights may give you an edge on the race track, you’re mainly buying this for the cool factor. It’s a gadget, a toy. And for anyone looking to build the ultimate F30 or F80, this Race Display Wheel should be high on your list.

Fitment

F30 3 Series, F32 4 Series, M2, M3, M4

Watch the video review

The Quest for the Ultimate F30 Wheel & Tire Setup

This past month, I celebrated one year of ownership with my F30 340i with a brand new set of wheels and tires. I put a lot of time and research into finding what I believe to be the perfect wheel setup for this car. I’ve taken everything I’ve learned from each set of wheels I’ve owned and applied it to this setup.

Maybe I’m getting older, but I’ve grown to appreciate the OEM+ look. I used to think, if I’m going to spend the money on a set of wheels, I want it to be obvious that I’ve upgraded them. This time, I was looking for a performance oriented wheel that could pass for a factory design. My search led me to the APEX ARC-8R, a simple split spoke forged wheel that accepts BMW center caps.

Wheel Specs:
Model: APEX ARC-8R
Front: 18x8.5 ET35
Rear: 18x9.5 ET45
Bolt pattern: 5x120
Center bore: 72.56
Weight: 18.35 lbs front, 18.7 lbs rear
Load rating: 1,800 lbs

Tire Specs:
Model: Michelin Pilot Sport All-Season 4
Front: 245/40/R18
Rear: 275/35/R18

Having owned 17’s, 18’s and 19’s, I keep coming back to 18’s as the perfect wheel size for me. Big enough to accommodate large M Sport brakes without clearance issues, yet small enough to fit larger tires without rubbing. They are just right. This time around, I went with 18x8.5 ET35 for my front wheels and 18x9.5 ET45 for the rear. This is perfect, no-nonsense fitment for the F30. With these specs, there’s no spacers, brake clearance issues, suspension clearance issues, or tire rubbing, even on a lowered car. Both the front and rear wheels are flush to the body. Since the ARC-8 doesn’t have a lip, it gives the illusion that the wheels are larger than they actually are.

F30’s, like many BMW’s have a bolt pattern of 5x120 and a center bore of 72.56 mm*. If you are new to the wheel game, center bore (also called hub bore) is the hole on the backside of the wheel where it mounts to the hub. If you buy a wheel where the center bore is too large, you can use an adapter called a hub centric ring to fill in the gap. If the center bore is too small, the wheel simply won’t fit without being drilled out by a machine shop. Some brands like APEX and VMR who cater to the BMW market offer wheels with a 72.56 mm center bore so the wheels fit straight out of the box.

(Note that BMW switched to a bolt pattern of 5x112 and center bore of 66.5mm around 2018 with the G series models).

Cast VS Flow Formed VS Forged

Cast

Cast Fifteen52 Tarmac 18x8.5, 18x9.5

In the world of aluminum wheels, there are three main manufacturing processes; cast, flow formed and forged. Cast aluminum wheels are the most common and affordable. Most factory wheels that cars come with are cast. Or if you’ve been wheel shopping and have seen wheels that are $1,000 or less for a set of 4, they are most certainly cast. To put it simply, cast wheels are made by pouring molten aluminum into a mold, allowing it to cool, and out pops a wheel. Because cast wheels are the weakest of the 3, they require more material to be structurally sound, making them the heaviest wheel construction.

PROS

• Affordable

• Huge selection of designs

CONS

• Weakest construction

• Heavy 

Flow Formed

Flow formed Fifteen52 Holeshot RSR 19x9.5

“Flow formed” is a term that’s been popping up in the wheel world in recent years. With flow forming, they start with a cast wheel and then use a machining process to apply pressure to the inner barrel of the wheel to compress the aluminum, thereby increasing its strength. Flow formed wheels offer a middle ground between cast and forged wheels. They are generally stronger and lighter than their cast counterparts, while being more affordable than forged wheels. They are for the enthusiast who is willing to pay for more than just a wheel’s design.

PROS

• Lighter and stronger than cast

• More affordable than forged

CONS

• Spokes are still cast aluminum

• Not as many options, but more designs have been coming to market recently

forged

Forged APEX ARC-8R 18x8.5, 18x9.5

The ultimate, spare-no-expense wheel construction is a forged wheel. With forged wheels, they start with a raw block of aluminum and apply 10,000 tons of pressure, then machine out the spokes. The result is a wheel that is both extremely strong, and extraordinarily light weight. A forged APEX ARC-8R weighs just over 18 lbs. For context, the stock BMW Style 407’s that came on my car weighed 29 lbs each - without tires. You don’t need to get your calculator out to realize that’s a massive weight savings. All this performance comes at a cost though. Forged wheels are the most expensive by far. 

PROS

• Lightest and strongest wheels

CONS

• Expensive

There was a time when the high cost of forged wheels from brands like BBS or Rays Engineering made them unattainable to the average car enthusiast. A set of BBS FI-R will set you back $8,000 (I sold my E90 for less than that!). Recently, brands like APEX and Forgestar have been shaking things up with more affordable forged options with the APEX ARC-8R’s coming in at around $650 per wheel. Not “cheap,” but you don’t need to donate a kidney (cough.. BBS.. cough..). Still, if you can’t stomach the cost of a fully forged wheel, APEX offers a flow formed version of the ARC-8 for around half the price.

My favorite thing about my ARC-8R’s is, despite the technology and performance that’s engineered into them, they look like they could have come on the car. Especially with the BMW center caps and brushed silver finish. The slight concave of the spokes and “FORGED” engraving when you get up close are the only hints that would give them away as aftermarket wheels. 

Michelin Sport All Season 4 245/40/R18, 275/35/R18

Tires

Let’s talk tires. On my last setup, I had the Michelin Sport 4S which is a high performance summer-only tire. This time I chose the Michelin Sport All Season 4. As great as the Sport 4S were, I really had to step back an evaluate my needs as a driver. While I don’t drive my 340i much in the snow, I do like having the option to drive in cold, wet weather which is about 65% of the year in Michigan. The tread pattern on the All Seasons gives me more confidence driving in heavy rain. Because I’m not tracking the car to pushing it to the limit on a regular basis, the advantages of the All Seasons outweighed the top end performance benefits of the Sport 4S for my personal use case.

One thing that was important to me was choosing tires that fit properly with no stretching. I went with 245/40/R18 for my front tires and 275/35/R18 for the rear on an 18x8.5 and 18x9.5 respectively. To me, this is the perfect tire to wheel ratio for the F30 and offers a comfortable ride for daily driving. The sidewall of the tire is squared off - a look that I’ve come to favor over stretched tires with rounded sidewalls. 

HUGE thank you to my sponsor Kies Motorsports for sending me these wheels. I was actually planning on buying them outright, but coincidently, Kies became an APEX distributor as I was in the market. It’s cool when things work out like that! Anyway, if this article helped point you in the direction of a set of APEX’s, I earn small commission if you use my affiliate link :) If you want to use this information to buy another brand, that’s cool too!

How to Replace an F30 BMW Key Battery

If your BMW is giving you the following message, Remote Control: Replace Battery it’s time to replace the battery in your key. Luckily it’s a simple fix that only costs around $5.

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.